A Chic Seattle Mudroom Makeover

!--paging_filter--pBefore its recent remodel, the main entry point from the detached garage of this North Capitol Hill colonial was the kitchen. Common enough in most homes, but less than ideal for a geared-up, storage-poor family with a 1-year-old, and a dilemma that interior designer Brian Paquette sought to remedy. brimg src="/sites/default/files/newfiles/0314_innerspace2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 10px;" height="450" width="300"Paquette worked with the homeowners on the interior for their six month-long addition and remodel, completed last Halloween, which included the mudroom, the living room and a new master suite. Post-remodel, the family enters through a long, narrow mudroom, less than 4 feet wide, yet big enough to park a stroller. A deep closetnbsp; filled with all four seasons of outerwear anchors the space, and a long custom bench with cubbies and wall hooks sits opposite the backdoor, awaiting galoshes, diaper bags and other go-to items. em(Photo at left: Paquette balanced the homeowner’s penchant for a moody palette of an indigo-infused charcoal with creamy salmon tones found in a turned wood lamp (opposite) from West Elm (South Lake Union; a href="http://www.westelm.com" target="_blank"westelm.com/a) and a bone inlay mirror from Serena Lily ($295; a href="http://www.serenaandlily.com" target="_blank"serenaandlily.com/a) chosen for its nuanced array of neutrals. The framed print is by Hugo Guinness. Find similar at Watson Kennedy Fine Home (Downtown, a href="http://www.watsonkennedy.com" target="_blank"watsonkennedy.com/a)/embrbr“This project is completely attainable, yet disguised to look extremely custom,” says the Pioneer Square–based designer, who balanced less expensive pieces from big-box stores such as West Elm with more expensive elements, including hand-poured tile, customized wallpaper and antique pieces from his travels. “The clients had a specific color story that they wanted to tell—a gray/blue with a touch of purple—which was more important to them than the expense of the items,” he continues, and which provided cohesion throughout the house. “This was by far the img src="/sites/default/files/newfiles/0314_innerspace3.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" height="450" width="300"most traditional home I’ve designed in Seattle,” says Paquette, who grew up in Newport, Rhode Island. “At its core, it’s totally comfortable and livable, great for kids and dogs, and completely functional, which is what traditional homes are based on.” brem(Photo at right: To add visual interest to an already durable floor, Paquette arranged custom matte tiles (Oregon Tile Marble, Georgetown; a href="http://www.oregontileandmarble.com" target="_blank"oregontileandmarble.com/a) in a herringbone pattern.)/embrbr/p